BBC - Devon Discovering Devon - Home town - Honiton tour The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites. FACTS Wool and cloth were some of the first goods to be traded on a commercial basis in the town in the 13th Century. By the 19th Century, around the year 1881, Honiton's repute had spread beyond fabrics and wool, to pottery. It began to produce highly unusual and world renown pieces after the Second World War, when its art deco pieces established the town as a centre for expertise. PRINT THIS PAGE View print friendly version of this page.. Honiton, the 'gateway' to Devon and Cornwall, stands on the main road & rail route to London and Exeter. A pleasant residential and market town, Honiton is world famous both for its lace products and the unique hand painted pottery produced here. The visitor to this friendly town will be delighted at the number and variety of antique shops and could while away many hours browsing through them. Honiton's vibrant street market Each Tuesday and Saturday, Honiton has market stalls lining each side of the broad main street.

You can buy such diverse items as clothing, electrical goods, books and paintings, as well as antiques and bric-a-brac. With the addition of local garden centre products, the end result is a colourful vibrant display. The local museum has a wealth of artefacts from Honiton's colourful past, situated on the high street next to St. Paul's church it's certainly worth a visit. Ian pictured outside Honiton Museum Honiton is said to be the first place in Devon in which wool was manufactured into cloth. The serges produced from the looms in the town enjoyed a great reputation for their quality. Sadly, with the advent of cotton, there was a decline in demand and eventually only one serge-maker survived. more on Honiton Honiton A Honiton Honiton is located within East Devon local authority area. Historically it formed part of Axminster Hundred. It falls within Honiton Vol 1 Deanery for ecclesiastical purposes. The Deaneries are used to arrange the typescript Church Notes of B.F.Cresswell which are held in the Westcountry Studies Library. The population was 2377 in 1801 3271 in 1901 .

Figures for other years are available on the local studies website. In the valuation of 1334 it was assessed at £02/16/08. The lay subsidy of 1524 valued the community at £21/12/04. It is recorded as a borough from 1217. It had parliamentary representation from 1640-1868. A turnpike was established in 1754. The community had a grammar school from 1640. A market is recorded from 14c.-1985. You can look for other material on the community by using the place search on the main local studies database. Further historical information is also available on the Genuki website . Maps: The image below is of the Honiton area on Donn's one inch to the mile survey of 1765. On the County Series Ordnance Survey mapping the area is to be found on 1:2,500 sheet 70/4 Six inch (1:10560) sheet 70NE The National Grid reference for the centre of the area is ST160005.

On the post 1945 National Grid Ordnance Survey mapping the sheets are: 1:10,000 (six inch to a mile: sheet ST10SE,SY19NW/E, 1:25,000 mapping: sheet Explorer 030, Landranger (1:50,000) mapping: sheet 192. Geological sheet 326 also covers the area. Illustrations: The image below is of Honiton as included in the Library's illustrations collection. Other images can be searched for on the local studies catalogue . HONITON, by W.G.Hoskins, 1954 Extracted from the author's Devon with permission of the copyright holder. HONITON is a cheerful little town, mostly of one long wide street, on the main London-Exeter road, which was its raison deter. The original settlement of" Huna's farm" may have been on the hillside to the S. of the town where the former parish church of St. Michael now stands. The valley is dotted with old farmsteads linked by narrow winding lanes, of which Coombhayes Farm (c.

1600) and Higher Blannicombe are worth seeing. Near the Sidbury road is Heathfield Farm ( 16th-cent.). The manor came to the Earls of Devon, and William de Vernon, the 5th earl, founded a borough here between 1194 and 1217. Until 1846 Honiton was governed by a portreeve. In that year it was incorporated, and became a "mayor town." It was a parliamentary borough from 1640 to 1868, with a singularly unsavoury reputation. Honiton is said to have been the first town in Devon in which serges were made, and there was a flourishing woollen industry here in the 17th-18th cents. It was also notable from Elizabethan times for the manufacture of a fine lace, which became especially famous under royal patronage in the 19th cent. Like most inland market towns in Devon, Honiton reached its highest population in the 1840s, but its subsequent decline was not as drastic as most, and it is a busy little place today.

Fires devastated the town in 1672, 1747, 1754 and 1765 (when 115 houses were burnt down), so that it presents the appearance to-day of a late 18th- early 19th-cent. town for the most part. The High Street is typical of a late Georgian coaching town, with a good deal of decent 18th-cent. building. The oldest house in the town is Marwood House, at the NE. end of the High Street, built in 1619 by John Marwood, physician. He was the second son of Thomas Marwood, physician to Queen Elizabeth, who enjoyed great fame as a doctor, having cured the Earl of Essex in 1592 when the best London doctors had failed to do so. In the main street is Allhallows Chapel, used for nearly 300 years as a schoolroom. It has some 15th-cent. work, but was partly rebuilt in the 17th cent. and is now used as a local museum. The Congregational Chapel has its original 1774 building behind a later front. St.

Paul's church was built 1835-8 in the Norman style by Charles Fowler. The former parish church (St. Michael) stands on a steep hillside above the town. It is a distinguished building of late 15th-early 16th-cent. date, with large windows of clear glass, and something of the air of a cathedral. The chancel was probably rebuilt by John Takell (d. 1529) as is suggested by the inscription on two of the chancel piers. The interior was gutted by fire in 1911, when the splendid rood-screen perished, but a number of interesting memorials remain, including the tomb of Thomas Marwood the physician (d. 1617). There are fine views from the churchyard over the town to the Black- down Hills. On the Exeter road, about 3/4 m. SW. of the town, is St. Margaret's Hospital, founded as a leper hospital at an unknown date and refounded and rebuilt c.1530 by Thomas Chard as an almshouse. Some work of this period remains.

HONITON FAIR, by Tricia Gerrish, 2004. ORIGINAL CHARTER: 1247. Granted by Henry III to Guy de Rupe Forti, at the Feast of St Margaret (20th July) for 3 days. 1257. Another charter given by Henry IIII to Baldwin de Insula/Isabella de Fortibus for a fair on Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday of Whitsun week. A GLOVE FAIR Honiton Fair is said to date from about 1221, according to ancient Rolls. Its first known charter was given to Guy de Rupe Forti in 1247 for a three day fair around the feast of St Margaret. This replaced the earlier fair, which was probably at the feast of All Hallows. A second fair was added ten years later, celebrated at Whitsun, to Baldwin de Insula - or was it to Isabella de Fortibus? Opinions differ: Lysons Magna Britannia 1822 says it was to Baldwin, but Isabella was Lady of the Manor in her own right in 1257, and heiress to the de Redvers family.

Honiton’s St Margaret’s Fair moved to the Wednesday following 19th July by 1890 (White's Devon Directory). In 1995 the opening ceremonies took place on Tuesday 25th July. Sheep, cows and calves, and horses were all traded at Honiton's fair. A cattle market was held near the King's Arms and the horse fair near White Lion Inn. On Fair Day farmers from the surrounding area paid their yearly tradesmens' bills. Business was generally brisk, although in 1904 it was almost confined to one day, with very few sheep on offer, but plenty of cows and calves, and a number of horses for sale. Messrs. Hussey & Son conducted animal auctions for Honiton fair between the beginning of the 20th century and at least 1939. By the 1920s a waning interest was reported by the Western Morning News in cattle auctions in the market. Just before the outbreak of World War II cattle, sheep and, in addition, pigs were on offer.

Honiton's Horse Fair declined, due to mechanisation in farming, from its golden days when horses could be seen showing their paces from High Street to the turnpike near Sidmouth Road junction. 1969's fair still had a livestockmarket: trading around 200 cattle, 500 sheep plus 600 lambs, 500 pigs and 50/60 cows. Honiton Fair was proclaimed at noon. A golden glove was hoisted on a garlanded pole. The Town Crier, in tricorn hat, red waistcoat, knee breeches and buckled shoes proclaimed the following: Oyez, oyez. The glove is up. No man shall be arrested (for debt) until the glove is taken down. God save the Queen/King! When the crowd had repeated this Proclamation three times, a bell was rung. The Civic Party moved on to the Angel Hotel (closed in 1989), where the glove was shown, and Hot Pennies were thrown down into the street. Next port of call was the King's Arms. Here the pole and glove were attached to its balcony and more Hot Pennies cascaded down.

When this inn closed, in 1975, the Angel was used to display the symbol during Honiton's cattle fair. On Thursday, glove and pole were transferred to the White Lion, at the other end of town, for the horse fair. In the 1920s the procession was extended: going from the Angel to the Star and thence to the Three Tuns before arriving at the King's Arms to deposit glove and pole and to throw Hot Pennies. Nobody can confirm how old Honiton's Hot Penny ceremony is - nor why it came into being. It has been claimed by a former Town Crier, whose family has long associations with Honiton, that it began in the 13th century, when gentry used to throw hot chestnuts to the serfs. Other historians and experts dispute both date and reason. A former curator of Allhallows Museum (the late John Yallop) confirmed that an 1870s picture of the ceremony exists, but there is no written record of Hot Pennies from Medieval or Tudor times.

A more commonplace explanation is that rich merchants in the Angel Hotel and other inns used to heat pennies deliberately at the fire and to throw them from windows for their amusement. Anyone who has attempted to collect Honiton's Hot Pennies without thick gloves or a piece of sacking will know how painful it would have been for poor children to pick them up. Scrambling for coins, cakes and apples is a documented part of Devon’s past however, used on many ceremonial occasions and Honiton Fair may merely have adapted this. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries the custom almost fell into disuse, but was 'rescued' by a Mr Gillard, who made a generous contribution of newly-minted money, allowing it to continue. Further ceremonies associated with Honiton Fair are mentioned during the 1930s. A press report states that a schoolboy was 'ducked' in The Leat, in Honiton's main street, by the Town Crier: 'in accordance with custom.' Ducking in a pool of water outside the Angel Hotel while penny scrambling took place is also reported at several 1930s fairs.

In 1938 the Town Crier was locked up for debt in Market Hall at 11.55am on opening day, as part of ceremonial. Many local debtors believed that when the fair had been proclaimed and the glove posted they could safely leave their houses without fear of arrest. This was probably an enactment of this idea. He was duly released at noon, to play his vital part on crying and proclaiming the fair. In 1828 there was a wife sale at Honiton Fair. Mrs Broom was sold by her husband. She was only 25 years of age, and had been married for a mere three years. Her sale was announced by the Town Crier and conducted by her husband. Bidding was brisk: starting at 2/6 (12 p) offered by a painter. It rose to 7/6 when a carpenter entered the auction, and the town's barber, hearing of the sale, abandoned his customers to raise the price by a full 8/0 in one go! Mrs Broom changed hands for £1. The streets of Honiton must have buzzed on fair days.

In past centuries troupes of dancing girls, roundabouts, boxing booths: even cages of lions were on hand for entertainment. One year a private from Honiton Militia camp challenged Jim Driscoll: later to become Feather-weight Champion of Britain, in the boxing ring. There were plenty of other fights. Once the words 'no man shall be arrested' had been proclaimed, old scores were paid off between local men. This despite the fact that the words referred only to debt. Farmers and their wives were everywhere, paying bills and enjoying hospitality provided by local tradesmen. It is said that a couple might breakfast, dine and have supper at their suppliers without parting with a penny (except to pay their bills). In 1904, when trade was described as dwindling, the pleasure fair had become enormous. The High Street is reported full of shows and rides. So many roundabouts had booked spaces that Messrs. Hancock's Steam Horses could not find accommodation. 1928's pleasure fair took place in Streamer's Meadow, where it is reported two years later as being in decline - though business at the fair was good. A field to the South of town was used in the 1950s.

The handbell had to be dispensed with during World War II, due to wartime regulations, but Honiton Fair continued to be proclaimed, and Hot Pennies were still thrown - as they were on a very hot Fair Day in 1980. By now, Honiton's Hot Pennies ceremony had become a tourist and holiday attraction. Instead of allowing small children to scramble for pennies, others joined in. Punches and kicks were thrown, many faces were slapped, and police had to intervene in the ensuing chaos. Coins continue to be thrown from several public houses in Honiton as part of the fair’s opening ceremony. In 1997 they were dispensed from six, including the New Dolphin Inn, where the glove was hoisted by its landlord. A revival of Town Criers in many parts of the South West has been reflected at recent fairs. Town Crier Day occupied the third day of fair. In 1997 the first ever children’s competition took place.

Visiting Criers from many towns in the area try out their vocal cords in the streets of Honiton: an appropriate reminder for an old charter fair of days when the populace could not read, and relied on Criers to keep them informed of important events. How sad to see this historic occasion billed for the last few years merely as Hot Pennies Day! Devon County Council, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD Our contact numbers | Tel: 0345 155 1015 | Fax: 0345 155 1003 | SMS: 80011 (please start all messages with the word Devon). Honiton- Devon Online Honiton EX14 8LT Tel/Fax: 01404 43716 The East Devon market town of Honiton, has a great deal to offer its many visitors, - a fascinating history, a lively atmosphere and miles of country walks for ramblers, being just a few of the many delights of the town.

For centuries Honiton has been renowned for lace, pottery and glove making, and although these time honoured crafts are no longer carried out to their former extent, Honiton has numerous specialist shops dedicated to both lace and pottery. In more recent years, the town has also become the main centre in the West Country for antiques and antiquarian books. Honiton is a magnet for antique dealers and bargain hunters from all over the world, who come to browse in the 30 or so establishments, or to visit one of the regular auctions. Strategically situated in South-East Devon, Honiton, is one of the traditional gateways into the county of Devonshire, making it an excellent base for people wishing to visit or to tour East Devon. Honiton is within easy reach of both of the West Country's National Parks - Dartmoor and Exmoor, as well as being close to Exeter - the ancient capital of the South West. Vast tracts of the area surrounding Honiton are designated as areas of outstanding natural beauty and the town's location, near to the River Otter, provides the visitor with an abundance of country walks and footpaths to explore. During the 18th century, fires destroyed many of Honiton's older buildings.

The re-building program created much of what we see today - a unique town, which is still largely 18th century in character. Honiton is both an attractive and prosperous town with an excellent shopping centre, holding twice-weekly street markets. It is twinned with Gronau-Leine in Germany and Mezidon-Canon in France, with regular exchange visits taking place between local schools and organisations. Honiton Lace Lace making was for hundreds of years, the main industry of the town. Honiton had a large population of lace-makers - women who would sit outside their houses using the bright sunlight to weave highly complicated and delicate pieces. Lace making was an extremely labour intensive craft, with even the smallest piece requiring a high degree of skill and precision to make. Eventually, machine made lace products became a cheaper alternative - causing Honiton's lace making industry to go into a decline. In 1841, lace makers from the Honiton area were commisioned to supply lace for Queen Victoria's wedding dress. The Queen was so impressed by the quality of the work, so she commisioned a second piece as a christening robe of her eldest son, later to be King Edward VII. This delicately woven lace gown is still in use today.

Historically, Honiton was one of the centres for the West Country's medieval cloth trade, but over time, the town became famous as a centre for lace - due to the locally manufactured lace products being shipped from the town. The town's Allhallow's Museum, holds the World's principal collection of Honiton Lace and there are many shops in the town, specialising in lace and pottery, as well as antiques for which Honiton is now renowned. The gentle, fertile agricultural land around Honiton has been inhabited since Neolithic times. The massive hillfort of Hembury Castle nearby, originated in the Neolithic period and was re-occupied and re-fortified during the Iron Age. The name of the town is Anglo Saxon and probably derives from the farm or settlement ('ton') of somebody called 'Huna'. Daniel Defoe visited the town, in the 1720's, saying of the town that it was 'large and beautiful...very populous and well built'. There are a still a few older buildingswhich survived the fire in the 18th century.

There is the 17th century Marwood House, built by John Marwood, whose father, Thomas, was physician to Elizabeth the First, and the already mentioned, Allhallows Museum, in the High Street, once a 13th century chapel that later became a schoolroom this is the oldest building in the town. St Michael's, the Parish Church of Honiton, sits on a small hill above the town. The church was rebuilt in 1911 after a fire. The building is spacious and there are good views from the churchyard. In the centre of the town is St Paul's Church, built in the mid 19th century by the Devon architect Charles Fowler, who was responsible the old Covent Garden Market in London, the gatehouse of nearby Powderham Castle, Totnes Bridge, and old county lunatic asylum at Exminster . Agriculture is Honiton's main industry today. The town stands in an area of rich farmland, watered by the river Otter with steep sided-hills that rise between the town and the sea. Many narrow winding lanes wind their way from Honiton, through the local countryside; leading to villages that provide tourists with constant sources of interest and delight.

Honiton with an extensive selection of restaurants, cafes and wide choice of accommodation from luxury hotels, guest houses and farmhouses to self catering cottages, is the ideal base for a visit to this region, with something to suit all tastes. Lace Making The Allhallows Museum in Honiton features displays of Honiton lace making at its best. Early examples can be viewed, showing the overall quality of the craftwork, which is comparable to the Flemish laces in both their design and quality of finish. Although, Honiton is known as being a lace making town, in reality, there is no evidence of any of the products actually being made in the town. Honiton was the centre of trading, but the lace-making itself was multi-centred and as with all products of this nature, their actual place of manufacture is often subject to question. The lace makers of the area, were not organized as a group, they were mostly single workers making lace from their cottages, far from any major market and worked in a country that was not that fashion conscious. The products were brought to Honiton as a centre for dispatch - to the far away markets.

There was no special group to oversee the quality of work and design and so short cuts were developed and inferior quality lace began to emerge, leading to a downward slide. In contrast, the Flemish lace makers of the time were based in a major city. The designs were created by highly trained designers who studied at government run colleges and maintained strong links to the capital, Paris and the French Courts. Rather than being an isolated group dispersed over a large area, they were a nuclear community producing high quality products; whose quality was rigourously controlled and enforced. In the early 19th century there was a decline in the industry and although Queens Adelaide ,Victoria, Alexandra and Mary all tried to support production of local lace, through patronage. During the second half of the century, the lace sprigs or motifs were being appliqued on to machine made net. This reduced to labour needed to produce products and some of the cost. The technique made the decorating of veils, fichus collars etc. much more of an economical proposition, but never brought the industry back to its previous high point.

Honiton | Devon Guide Honiton Honiton The South-East Devon market town of Honiton has long been famous for lace, pottery and glove making, and Honiton still has numerous shops dedicated to lace or pottery. More recently the town has become a centre for antiques and antiquarian books. There are around thirty establishments connected with this trade and regular auctions are held in the town. Honiton has an extensive selection of restaurants, cafés and a wide choice of accommodation from luxury hotels to self catering cottages. It is an ideal base for a visit to this part of Devon. Honiton was one of the centres for the medieval cloth trade, but eventually the town became most famous as a centre for lace. Allhallow’s Museum of Lace and Antiquities is situated in the town’s oldest building and contains numerous items of local interest and history, including a comprehensive collection of the famous Honiton lace. Honiton lace For hundreds of years, lace making was the main industry of the town. Women would sit outside their homes to weaving highly complicated and delicate pieces in the bright sunlight. Lace making was a labour intensive craft, as to make even the smallest piece required a high degree of skill and precision.

Eventually, machine made lace products became a cheaper alternative causing a decline in the local industry. In 1841, lace makers from the area were commissioned to supply the lace for Queen Victoria’s wedding dress. The Queen was so impressed by the quality of the work that she commissioned the christening robe of her eldest son, later King Edward VII. The delicate lace gown is still in use today. Honiton was the centre of trading, but lace making itself was multi-centred. The lace makers were mostly women working from their cottages, far from any market. Honiton was a centre for dispatch to far away markets. There was no specific body to oversee the quality of work and design and consequently inferior quality lace began to emerge, leading to a downward slide. This was accentuated by competition from the strictly regulated Flemish lace makers of the time. From the early 19th century there was a decline in the industry although the Royal family tried to support production of local lace through patronage. During the second half of the century, lace motifs were appliquéd onto machine-made net. This reduced the cost of labour and made the decorating of veils and so on a much more economical proposition. However the industry never returned to its previous high point.

During the 18th century, fires destroyed many of the older buildings in Honiton. Consequently much of what we see today was built at that time. The town is attractive and prosperous with an excellent shopping centre, holding twice-weekly street markets. The agricultural land around Honiton has been inhabited since Neolithic times as illustrated by the nearby massive hill fort of Hembury Castle. The fort was occupied and refortified during the Iron Age. The derivation name, Honiton, is Anglo Saxon and probably derives from Huna’s ton or the settlement of somebody called Huna. When Daniel Defoe visited the town in the early 18th century, he described it as large and beautiful. A few buildings survived the fire in the 18th century, including 17th century Marwood House, built by John Marwood, son of the physician to Elizabeth I, and the previously mentioned Allhallows Museum. The latter building, in the High Street, was once a 13th century chapel and later became a schoolroom. It is the oldest building in the town. The Parish Church of St Michael’s, Honiton is built on a small hill overlooking the town.

It was rebuilt following a fire in 1911. St Paul’s Church, in the centre of the town was built in the mid 19th century by Charles Fowler, the architect, who was responsible for old Covent Garden Market in London. Honiton’s main industry today is agriculture. The rich farmland is watered by the River Otter. Steep sided hills rise between the town and the sea and narrow lanes wind their way from Honiton through the local countryside. There are many attractive villages in the area. Honiton Festival is held annually in May and features music by local artists and internationally known names. Art exhibitions are featured in many shops and galleries along the high street. Another annual event is the Honiton Agricultural Show - one of the largest and best supported shows in the country with both farming and trade exhibitions. Yet another local event is the Honiton and District Carnival. This event is held over a two week period, culminating in the Grand Evening Carnival Procession. Honiton is one of the traditional gateways into Devon, providing an excellent base for people wishing to explore the county. It is within easy reach of Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks, and close to Exeter , the ancient capital of Devon.

Much of the countryside surrounding Honiton contains areas designated as of outstanding natural beauty. The history of Honiton, Devon The History of Honiton Honiton Hotels | guide to Honiton The South-East Devon market town of Honiton grew up along the line of the old Roman road, the Fosse Way, that links Exeter to Lincoln . Archeological evidence suggests that the countryside around present-day Honiton has been inhabited since Neolithic times. Standing near the town is the massive hill fort of Hembury Castle. The hill fort was occupied and refortified during the Iron Age . Honiton is mentioned in the Norman Domesday Book of 1086 as Honetone, meaning a farm belonging to Huna. Honiton grew into a thriving town and became famous for lace, pottery and glove making. More recently the town has become well known for antiques and antiquarian books. Honiton developed into one of the countryï¿½s main centres for the medieval cloth trade. Lace making was originally introduced to the town by Flemish immigrant lace makers during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I . This trade developed and the town started to specialise in lace, for which it became widely renowned.

Although Honiton was considered the centre of lace trading, the actual lace making itself was multi-centred. The lace makers were usually women who worked from their cottages, often far from any market. Honiton acted as a hub, receiving the finished lace and dispatching it to far away markets. In 1841, lace makers from the area were commissioned to supply the lace for Queen Victoria ï¿½s wedding dress. The monarch appreciated the quality of the work so much that she subsequently commissioned the christening robe of her eldest son, later King Edward VII . The same Honiton-made delicate lace gown is still in use today. The lace trade was carried out in the town for hundreds of years. The townï¿½s women would sit outside their homes weaving the highly complicated and delicate pieces in daylight. It was a very labour intensive craft requiring skill and precision. This made the lace expensive and when machine-made lace products arrived they were much cheaper and started the decline of the local industry. During the 18th century a serious fire ravaged the town, and many of the original buildings in Honiton were destroyed. Visitors to Honiton today are mainly faced with Georgian and Victorian buildings constructed after the fire.

Daniel Defoe visited Honiton early in the 18th century when he described it as ï¿½large and beautifulï¿½. The handful of buildings that survived the fire include the 17th century Marwood House, originally built by John Marwood who was the son of the physician to Elizabeth I. St Paul's Church is a mid 19th century structure that was designed by Charles Fowler, the architect responsible for Londonï¿½s famous Covent Gardenï¿½s Market. The church is situated in the centre of the town and forced the demolition of half of the adjacent Allhallows Chapel when it was constructed. The 13th century chapel next to the church is now Allhallows Museum . It stands in the High Street and has previously been used as a schoolroom, as well as a place of worship. It is considered to be the oldest surviving building in the town. St Michaelï¿½s Parish Church, which enjoys a prominent on a small hill above the town, was rebuilt in 1911 after a fire. Honitonï¿½s lace industry is long gone and the areaï¿½s main industry today is agriculture.

Rich farmland surrounding the town is fed by the waters of the River Otter producing a very fertile land well suited to farming. Tourism is now an important part of the townï¿½s economy, as it is to much of the county of Devon. The market town of Honiton and itï¿½s famous antiquarian shops is now a popular visitor destination. If you like this, Share it Brit Quote: When you've seen a nude infant doing a backward somersault you know why clothing exists - Stephen Fry Honiton, market town and lace making centre [ ? ]Subscribe To This Site Honiton - East Devon market town Nestling in the Otter valley the modern day market town of Honiton still bears some resemblance to the original settlement based on the Saxon plan from around the year 1200. Famous for it’s lace the town has a long and interesting history and still has lots to offer the visitor today. The Romans built a road connecting various military forts and bases, which passed through Honiton on its way to Exeter. The main High Street follows the route of this road. By the mid 1600s the town was well known as a centre for lace making .

In 1676 there were 5,299 lace makers in East Devon with 1341 of them in Honiton itself. The lace merchants sent lace to London and other important markets. At first by stagecoach and later by rail. Why not visit the Allhallows and Honiton Museum if you’re interested in the history of lace making? For many hundreds of years there’s been a market in the town, it’s still there on Tuesday and Saturday. The farmers bring animals to the stock market and their wives buy the things that they need for the week ahead in the street market. There are some excellent bargains to be had here for everyone. Once a month there is a Farmer’s Market where you can buy farm fresh local produce. The town is well known as a centre for antiques too. There’s a range of excellent shops to choose from. You can see everything from Honiton pottery and lace through to antique pens and other collectibles and glassware, antiquarian books, as well as all kinds of French, English and other European furniture. It’s well worth spending a day browsing around the antique shops. I guarantee you’ll find something to interest you and you’ll learn something even if you can resist buying.

Our staff are currently writing a review of the antique shops in Honiton, subscribe to our RSS feed to receive details as soon as this is complete. If you enjoy art then don’t miss the Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Dowell Street and the Walker Gallery in the High Street. There are plenty of good eating places too. The Boston Tea Party and the Red Cow both in the High Street, Kristians in Black Lion Court, Merlettos, formerly the Lace Shop and now an excellent café, the Carlton Inn, the Honiton Wine Bar, the Dolphin and the Tea Shop all offer a place to sit down and relax after a hard morning touring the antique shops. If you fancy a take-away then try Joe’s Fish and Chips in New Street, a Taste of Bengal for prize winning Indian food or one of the two Chinese take-aways, the Kebab shop or the Italian fare on offer at Bar 102, all in the High Street. Best Antique Towns and Villages for Shopping in the UK continue reading below our video Beware! The 5 Most Common Travel Scams Antiques in an English shop.

Richard Freeda/Getty Images • Petworth, West Sussex Petworth House and Park , in the South Down's National Park near the South Downs Way , is one of England's top stately homes. It has the National Trust's most important collection of paintings, including 19 Turners. Many of the Turners were painted when the artist was resident in this West Sussex house under the patronage of the Earl of Egremont. Visitors to this important house may not be aware that the adjacent town of Petworth is often named as one of England's top towns for antique hunters. It has at least 35 antique shops and 100 dealers, offering country furniture along with very high quality UK, English and Continental Antiques. Most of the shops are members of Petworth Antique and Decorative Arts , which publishes a useful street map of dealers on its website. Look, in particular, for Tudor Rose Antiques , housed in a 500-year-old, red brick building. Where: West Sussex, about 50 miles South West of London on the A272, 5.5 miles west of Pulborough.

By Train: Trains from Waterloo Station in London call in at Haslemere and trains from London Victoria stop at Pulborough - either is about 20 minutes from Petworth. Local bus services from Worthing to Midhurst stop at Pulborough Station. Food and Drink: Quick, casual dining in West Sussex, an affluent residential area, is always a bit of a challenge. There are a couple of Indian restaurants and a Chinese takeaway in the center of town as well as a small local cafe or two. The National Trust restaurant and coffee shop at Petworth House are open to the public until 5 p.m. without purchasing a ticket to the house and garden. Antiques or junk? You be the judge. Antonius Antonius/Getty Images • Tetbury, Gloucestershire Tetbury is at the heart of royal territory in the Cotswolds. Highgrove, the home of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales is in the countryside outside the town. Garden tours of Highgrove can be booked in advance. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, lives nearby as well. The town first made its fortunes in the Cotwolds wool trade and can boast a 1300 year history.

A number of interesting landmarks and buildings dot Tetbury's historic center, in particular its striking, 350 year old market hall. Other local attractions include Chavenage , an Elizabethan house open to the public, and the Westonbirt Arboretum , keepers of more than 18,000 named specimen trees. This thriving market town is also the capital of the Cotswolds when it comes to antiques, with about 20 antique stores and antiques centers in which to browse and buy. Where: Tetbury is aboout 105 miles from London in the heart of the Gloucestershire Cotswolds . It's at least a two and a half hour drive fromLondon on the M4 and local roads, so if you are planning to shop till you drop and visit a few sights as well, staying in the area makes sense. Find a place to stay in Tetbury By Train: The nearest train station is Stroud, 11 miles away. Trains from London Paddington take an hour and a half. Plan on taking a taxi from the train station because local bus services require multiple changes and take forever.

Parts of the Cotswolds are like the Los Angeles of England - you just need a car. Food and Drink Tetbury is a busy market town in the midst of some fine agricultural country so there's plenty of fresh local food around in a variety of cafes, pubs and restaurants. Look for produce, prepared products and meats from "The Duchy", that's the Prince of Wales' own organic food business. The Duchy Home Farm is just down the road on the Highgrove estate. Fans of The Fabulous Baker Brothers (cook book and television program) should stop in at Hobbs House Bakery to buy some bread and local produce. Tom and Henry Herbert are part of the five generations of Herberts who have run this family business. If you visit on the weekend, they run a bistro from 7p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Antique cutlery and lace. Getty Images • Honiton in Devon Honiton was once known as the lacemakers town. Though the cottage industry has mostly disappeared, individual lacemakers still take on private commissions. Crisp white Honiton bobbin lace has adorned Royal baby's christening dresses since Queen Victoria's day. Today, though, this Devon town is famous for antiques.

When I mentioned to my hotel host in a nearby village that I was heading for Honiton next, he said "Ah yes, the town with the High Street lined with antique shops, from one end to the other." That was no exaggeration. Honiton has about 85 antique dealers, operating from some 17 locations on and just off the High Street. There are also two quality auction houses where you can pop in to see what's coming up in future sales or sit in on a country auction yourself. The only place you'll see the famous lace, though, is in the town's All Hallows Museum of Lace and Local Antiquities . Where: Honiton is about x miles from Central London and just to the east of Dartmoor. It's located at the crossroads of several major routes, A30, A35, A373 and A375, close to the M5 toward London and other motor routes in all directions. It's about 150 miles from London on the A303 and the A30, or 25 miles from the Cathedral city of Exeter via the A30 and the M5.

Find a Place to Stay in Honiton By Train: There's hourly direct service from London Waterloo throughout the day with round trips, purchased in advance as separate one-way tickets, about £26 in 2016. Food and Drink: This is a busy market town so cafes and coffee bars are thick on the ground in the town center. Locals recommend Zest Cafe at 9 Black Lion Court, Toast Cafe and Patisserie on the High Street and Lacemaker Cafe , where they serve a veggie breakfast. The Lanes in Brighton. Britain on View/Visit Britain/Getty Images • More Antique Villages Worth Visiting I'm working my way around the country, stopping in antique shops, markets and villages whenever I'm able. Meanwhile - though I haven't visited all of these, the buzz is that they're worth a look in : Lostwithiel , named Cornwall's "Antique Town" in 2004

Question: For what product is the town of Honiton, Devon, famous?
Answer: LACE